Bracket for scaffolding



Feb. 3, 1970 MASATARO sATo BRACKET FOR SCAFFOLDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1968 26 Wow Fe. 3, 1970 MASATARO SATO BRACKET FOR SCAFFOLDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1968 United States Patent BRACKET FOR SCAFFOLDING Masataro Sato, 28-26 Fukuokamachi, Z-chome, Takamatsu-shi, Japan Filed Apr. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 722,266 Claims priority, application Japan, May 6, 1967,

Int. Cl. E04g 3/108, 1/00; E06f 7/28 U.S. Cl. 248235 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates generally to structural brackets and more specifically to structural brackets which may be used with scaffolding, or the like, to provide support for tread boards, catwalks, or other appurtenances.

In the construction and repair business, regardless of the type structure being worked on, there arise occasions when it is necessary to erect a scaffold beside the structure to provide support for materials and a work area for the workmen. In prior art, these scaffolds were constructed of wood; either wooden planking or logs, joined together. With the advent of multistory buildings, as with to 30 floors, for the sake of economy and particularly for the sake of safety, the scaffolds were made of metal pipe, joined together section by section as the scaffold grew. This arrangement generally proved to be satisfactory, except that often it was necessary to add a catwalk, or supporting bracket to the scaffold at a point intermediate of its ends. Since the scaffold was of metal piping, there was no easily mountable, and dismountable, means for adding and removing the supporting bracket.

The present invention fills the need for an easily mountable and dismountable scaffold bracket, and thereby offers considerable improvement in the scaffolding art. The invention as disclosed herein provides a bracket which is economical to construct, which can be attached at random locations to any scaffold or framework, and which, at the same time provides safety when utilized at heights. Since the bracket is tightly secured to the building framework it is prevented from coming off lengthwise, sidewise, lateral or horizontalwise due to vibration or slippage.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a scaffold bracket which may be speedily, efficiently, and safely secured at any desired place on a scaffold or building framework.

Another object is the provision of a scaffold bracket which will not be dislodged by vibration.

Another object is the provision of a scaffold bracket which is economical to construct.

Still another object is the provision of a scaffold bracket which may be used to support a catwalk, treadboard, or other appurtenance.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will become readily apparent as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like references designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the bracket attached to a short prefabricated scaffold.

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FIG. 2 shows a side view of the bracket.

FIG. 3 shows aback view of the bracket.

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the upper clamp.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged side view of the lower clamp.

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged back view of the lower clamp.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 there is shown a short, prefabricated scaffold 10 with the bracket forming the present invention attached thereto. The bracket has a general configuration of a triangle and has a long horizontal arm 11 and a long diagonal arm 12, with a vertical arm 13 to complete the triangle. Parallel with vertical arm 13, and joining horizontal arm 11 with diagonal arm 12, there is a brace 14 to add structural strength to the bracket. At the outer extremity of horizontal arm 11, there is a small vertically extending ridge 15 which serves to keep a treadboard in place when it is laid on horizontal arm 11. It should be noted that members 11, 12, 13, and 14 have been shown in the figures as being circular in cross section, such as would be true of metal piping, but it should be recognized that other cross sections and materials, as the situation requires, would be equally effective in carrying out the invention.

At the innermost end of horizontal arm 11, where it joints vertical arm 13, there is an upper clamp 16 (FIG. 7) which is attached to arm 13 along one of the sides 17, as by welding, or the like. Clamp 16 has an arcuate, vertically extending tubular section 20 which is adapted tofit around any of the vertical structural members 21 of scaffold 10, the open part of the arc, of course, being at least as large as the diameter of structural member 21. At the lower end of clamp 16 there is a short, arcuate horizontal section 22 which is adapted to fit over, and rest on any of the horizontal structural members 23 of scaffold 10. Here, again, the open part of the arc should be at least as large as the diameter of member 23 and the radius of the arc should be, preferably, the same as that of member 23 so that a snug fit is obtained when the two are mated. Horizontal section 22 may be a single arcuate piece, or may be a large and small piece placed one above the other as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, if preferred, for easy mating with and removal from structural member 23.

Lower clamp 24 is attached at the junction of vertical arm 13 and diagonal arm 12. This clamp is also arcuate in shape and is adapted to encircle vertical structural member 21. However, as can be clearly seen in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 the upper and lower edges 25 and 26, respectively, of the are are, in this case, slanted at opposing angles. This results in a situation where the distance between the extreme outermost edges of the arc is less than the diam eter of vertical structural member 21, but at the same time the largest part of the arc will accommodate member 21, as will be shown hereinafter.

In the operation of the bracket, it may be attached to a scaffold 10 wherever there is a junction of a vertical member 21 and a horizontal member 23. The vertical portion 20 of upper clamp 16 is placed around scaffold member 21 while the horizontal portion 22 is placed on and around scaffold member 23. Lower clamp 24 is also placed around member 21, but due to the special shape of clamp 24, the bracket must be turned sideways slightly when it is being mounted or dismounted. It should be appreciated that the necessity of having to turn the bracket sideways to enable insertion of scaffold member 21 between the outer edges of clamp 24 adds considerably to the safety features of the invention. Vertically extending section 20 of upper clamp 16 and lower clamp 24 prevent rotation of the bracket about a vertical axis when weight is applied to it, while horizontal section 22 of the upper clamp supports the bracket vertically.

From the above description of the structure and oper- Obviously many modifications and variations of the 10 present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is: 1. A bracket for attachment to a scaffold adjacent the junction of a horizontal member and a vertical member thereof comprising:

a horizontal arm, a vertical arm extending outwardly from said horizontal arm at the top of said bracket and a diagonal arm connecting the horizontal and vertical arms;

upper means for mounting the bracket on a scaffold at the junction of a vertical scaffold member and a horizontal scaffold member, the latter of which extends parallel to said horizontal bracket arm, said upper mounting means being located at the junction of said horizontal and vertical arms and comprising a vertically extending tubular portion open along one side for the passage therethrough of the vertical scaffold 30 member, said tubular portion encircling the vertical scaffold member in use, and a horizontally extending arcuate shaped portion extending at a right angle from said vertical portion parallel to said horizontal arm for resting on the horizontal member of the scaffolding; and

lower means for mounting the bracket on the vertical member of the scaffold below said upper mounting means, said lower mounting means being located at the junction of said vertical and diagonal arms and comprising a vertically extending arcuate shaped member partially encircling the vertical member of the scaffolding.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower edges of the lower clamp are slanted at opposite angles, thereby making it impossible to either insert or withdraw the vertical member of the scaffolding from the arcuate portion of the clamp unless the bracket is turned sideways.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,125,830 8/1938 Vecker et al. 248-235 2,891,599 6/1959 Stallard 248224 X 3,205,006 9/1965 Mommsen 248235 X 3,270,997 9/ 1966 Gethmann 248235 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 182179 

